Conferences

On March 20, 2012, I attended the Instructional Technology Strategies Conference in Portland. I had a great time and learned a lot, so I thought I’d share some random thoughts about the conference and my experiences.

Paperless Conference
I’m probably behind the times, but this was the first paper-free conference I have attended. Everyone was supposed to bring a connected device. It was strange, but liberating. No fumbling through folders to find the agenda. No not getting around to filing notes or handouts until they eventually get thrown out. Links and notes are stored on the device, along with any presentations, so I can find them later. Carrying around a computer is much less cumbersome than the folders, notebooks, or God forbid, those big bags full of stuff you get at some conferences. I loved it.Read more...

Since I'll be attending SXSW Interactive this coming March, I thought it would be good to extend my participation into the "mini southby" event known as SXSWedu.  And why not share the knowledge by submitting a few proposals?  Now is your chance to vote for the sessions you want to see at SXSWedu.  (I'd be grateful if you give mine your consideration too.)Read more...

In mid-July, I presented on formative assessment of 21st century skills at the AMFIE, Asia-Pacific Ministerial Forum on ICT in Education, conference in Manila, Philippines. The conference was sponsored by UNESCO, KERIS (Korea Education Research Information Services), World Bank, and Intel, among other organizations. What an experience it was! The discussions I heard confirmed my expectations in some ways and surprised me in others.Read more...